


The Hunt

by LadyWithTheHat (Lumeriel)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Demons, Elves, Gay Sex, Half-Sibling Incest, M/M, Magic, Soulmates, Yôkai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:35:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24740887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeriel/pseuds/LadyWithTheHat
Summary: Once a year, for seven nights, each demon searches for their soulmate. The red thread tied to their finger - only visible to themselves - guides them to the person on the other side of the link.Yûsei hunts his partner ... but fate and the Goddess have decided to play tricks on him.
Relationships: Lord Demon Prince/Lord Elven Prince
Comments: 12
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

Yûsei walked the last few meters before looking out onto the balcony. With one hand he secured the mask that covered the upper part of his face and with the other, he checked that the knife easily came out of the leather sheath embroidered with black stars: a vanity on his part to wear a garment with his personal sigil, but the stars were barely perceptible and the Pillars would not be angry at the small violation. On the other hand, it was only fair that the heir of the Taishõgun indulge himself tonight.

He smiled as the first note of the horn poured down the valley at the foot of the palace. Like him, thousands of demons across Ar-Gaelion were enlisting for the "Hunt." Tonight, the red threads of fate would be drawn at last.

An ancient legend - long before the time of the Excision - used to say that a red thread united two beings destined to meet. The thread could tighten, twist, tangle ... but in the end, the two ties would meet. Over the centuries, the tradition that only by following the red thread could one find half the soul was lost: many threads led to the Gates swallowed by the Mist and others faded into the Shadows of Mahel the Pale. However, instinct remained in the hearts of demons and every first New Moon - when the Goddess veiled her face - those who dared followed the strand tied to the middle finger of their left hand. At the end of the strand was your mate, your equal, your other half. During the rest of the year, the red thread was invisible: only for seven nights was it possible to see it.

Yûsei observed the delicate thread that circled five times by his knuckle, occupying the place that the Dragon Ring normally occupied. He remembered the first time he had seen it on his finger - a wisp of faint pink silk - all those years ago, the same night his father had his wedding to Aislinn, the Princess of the Elven Wolf Clan. Today, the thread was an intense blood color and Yûsei knew what that meant: his soulmate had come of age and was ready to be claimed.

The second note of the hunting horn strained the muscles of the yõkai prince's back, who leaned over the railing, scanning the shadows in which the strand was lost in the garden. His pointy ears twitched uneasily.

How would they be? Would they be a beautiful creature? Could they be yõkai? Were they even a demon? Seven nights. Seven nights to hunt down his mate throughout Ar-Gaelion. Nervously, he checked the knife again: he must be fast. As soon as he identified his partner, he had to mark them and taste their blood. Formerly, it was customary to bite and drink directly from the wound; but the demons had evolved. At least in appearance. Speed was the key: many demons refused to be marked. Finding your partner and reclaiming them was tantamount to binding yourself forever: the red thread became a diamond chain, unbreakable. If one of the two passed through Mahel's Shadow Gate, the other would follow. To death or madness.

A shudder ran down Yûsei's spine. Everyone knew the history of the Ked’Naar, lords of the Hinunes. Nael followed the red thread on his finger to discover that he was binding his brother in blood, Nearis. Desperate for the discovery, Nael resisted the call of fate for years. When his heart was about to overcome his conscience, the Hinun leader shut himself in his chambers and cut his throat. Nearis, alerted by the unknown link that bound them, ran in search of his brother and found him dying. In an effort to save him, he sealed the wound with his lips, drinking in his soulmate's blood. Shock prevented Nearis from completing the healing ritual: Nael died in his arms, but the bond had been sealed. Nearis, tied to the soul of his dead brother, assumed the throne of the demons of the air, and his people witnessed how he plunged into shadows and madness with each passing year. In his last days, the once-powerful warrior wandered the ruins of his palace, speaking only to the idea of Nael… until believing that his brother was calling him, he threw himself into the flames one night.

Yûsei shook his head as he groaned to chase away the bad omens. His fate would not be marked by misfortune. His partner - whoever they were - would bring him only joy and happiness.

The third horn call rang out in the dead of night, and the Dragon Prince leaped over the balcony rail. Before the sound faded, he had already disappeared among the trees, following the red thread of fate.


	2. Chapter 2

He stopped, sniffing the air like a wolf. Midnight had passed hours ago and Yûsei knew that if he did not find his partner before dawn, he would have to wait until the next night to see the red thread. The sweet, slightly musky scent of sex filled his senses. Others were more fortunate than him on this first night, but the prince did not flinch: twice he had seen the end of the red thread, so his partner could not be that far.

A slight scent distinguished itself from the others. There. He tasted it on his tongue and a rush of pleasure and hunger went straight to his sex, hardening it. He was not a virgin, of course. Yûsei had reached maturity almost three hundred years ago and since before that date, he had enjoyed the attention of numerous females, not to mention some young men eager to please the Dragon Prince. However, nothing he had experienced before came close to the arousal that made his blood boil in that instant. More than desire - the desire caused by the sight of a beautifully shaped leg, a cocoon-tight mouth, inviting eyes, or a smooth skin - what shook his body was _hunger_. And thirst. As heir to the yõkai throne, Ryunnosuke Yûsei had tasted the blood of numerous preys from earliest childhood, had devoured the still-beating hearts of beasts, and had covered his face with the blood of devils and humans serving the Specters; but it was the first time that he felt thirsty for blood, _for his soulmate’s blood._

He licked his lips and a sound - as soft as the touch of a silk gown on the palace tiles - made his ears turn south. He turned in place and his golden eyes gleamed like topazes in the night as he perceived the silhouette among the trees.

He was motionless, his slender body drawn by the rays of starlight streaming through the frond. A slight breeze stirred the leaves and with them, the figure's hair waved, wrapping around his hips.

Yûsei held his breath. Male. His partner was a male in the prime of life, barely reached his first youth. Yûsei shuddered with the knowledge that no one before him would have tasted that body. A hoarse roar formed in his throat as he lunged forward.

His hand closed in the void: his prey had disappeared as if swallowed by the shadows. He blinked, confused, and breathed in to check that the scent was still there, betraying the closeness of his partner. It was impossible that he would have disappeared ... unless the young man was a powerful Craftsman. Pride puffed up the prince's chest: a companion worthy of him.

The mocking laugh echoed a short distance away and Yûsei turned as he propelled himself toward the branches.

The hunt was just beginning.

………………………………………….

The clearing opened before him, bathed in starlight. It was the seventh night and a chill ran down Yûsei's skin. If he didn't catch him today, he should wait another year to find his mate.

Yûsei growled, showing his fangs. If it hadn't been for each time he lost track, the other reappeared, he might have believed that his partner did not want to be caught. But after six nights of chasing him, Yûsei had convinced himself that his partner was enjoying the hunt.

He was impatient. He wanted to catch him, savor his blood, his sex… sink into him until he lost consciousness of himself. It was not obligatory to marry the predestined couple, Yûsei knew it, but he had decided that this male would be _his_.

Although he had always enjoyed the company of females more than that of males - even his few male lovers had been of effeminate beauty - the yõkai prince understood the justice of fate, providing him with a companion who could accompany him to war, a partner who would not back down from the fierceness of his passion, a partner who would return bites and blows with the strength of an equal.

He said himself that the following year the red thread would still be there, tying them above the will of the Four Pillars and he knew with certainty that he would wait - he would wait for this male to celebrate the ritual of union before the throne of the Goddess - but, the desire roaring in his veins urged him to continue. Keep going until he could catch the other half of his soul.

He breathed to calm himself and closed his eyes. He listened to the night.

The night was the domain of the Goddess and only She tied the souls of Her Children. If anyone could help him, it was Her.

He opened his eyes and saw him.

He was on the other side of the clearing and the pale light of the stars illuminated the dark blue mask covering his entire face only to reveal the generous mouth, slightly twisted in a mocking smile. A white shirt and tight cobalt pants were his only outfit. He wore no weapons or jewelry, and his bare feet sank into the wet grass.

Yûsei breathed again, slowly absorbing his scent and his eyes followed the gesture with which the other raised his left hand ... until his tongue brushed the twists of the red thread on his middle finger. With an anxious grunt, the prince leaped forward.

The other laughed and launched to meet him.

They collided halfway, hands seeking to seize like claws, breasts pushing like shields, legs intertwining in a trap.

Yûsei let his fingers run down his firm arms, reveling in hard muscles, proof of workouts, and power. His admiration was interrupted by the leg that reached for his knee, hoping to knock him down. With a nimble movement, he disengaged himself from the arms that almost wrapped around his waist and pushed with both open hands. The other jumped back, avoiding the hand that reached for his loose hair.

For a moment, Yûsei considered using his powerful magic to move to where his partner landed; but no flash betrayed that the other used magic and he decided to grant him the same courtesy. Instead, he assumed a fighting stance, his arms in front of his face, and his fingers curled in the tiger pose. A smile curved the lips of the other male.


	3. Chapter 3

Sweat ran down Yûsei's back, causing the shirt to stick to his skin. The fatigue of the previous nights began to grip his muscles; but more than that, the desire hardening his body had become unbearable. Every time his hands brushed his opponent's now-naked torso, his fingers tangled in the long hair ... a shudder shook his insides.

They had fought for hours. Yûsei's knife had been driven into the ground since one of the first collisions. The other's shirt lay to one side, torn apart. The red thread wound in countless turns around them. They couldn't escape: they both knew it. It only remained to find out who would make the other bleed first.

The young demon moved to the side with the grace of a dancer, yet nothing in him was effeminate - from the sculpted firm muscles to the slightly square jaw, everything screamed manhood. Yûsei narrowed his eyes, perceiving once again that familiar air that he could not identify.

An Academy student? One of the young guards?

Yûsei tried to remind one of them to wear their hair so gloriously long, but apprentices used to cut their hair over their shoulders, and beginning Paladins used to braid it tightly against the skull. No one in all of Jade City sported hair so lustfully black and smooth - except for a female, of course. Instead, his adversary wore raven feathers woven into his hair, and a wolf's tusk adorned his right ear as the only garment. Yûsei was fascinated.

The prince jumped on the spot when the side attack surprised him: his companion had moved forward; but at the last moment, he had slipped to the left and his hand emerged from below to attack Yûsei's throat.

Just as the Dragon Prince dodged the attack, he kicked out from underneath to hit the other's flexed leg. The young bent to the ground; but before Yûsei fell on him, he curled up and rolled out of reach. He stood up as he turned in front of Yûsei and surprise lit up his clear eyes when the crown prince buried a hand in his hair, emerging from the right.

Yûsei had followed him as he moved away from his reach and when his partner straightened up, he was already there to catch him.

Yûsei's first impulse was to search for the knife he lost - his eyes fixed on that mouth that curved into a challenging half-smile as his fingers delineated the point where he would make the cut, just above the left nipple - but then the other stepped forward, showing the fangs in a grimace of challenge and thoughts were diluted in nothing.

The kiss was brutal, a fight fiercer than they had until now. The acrid taste flooded Yûsei's mouth, unleashing centuries of desire and hunger.

They jerked away, panting, challenging each other like wolves on the prowl. Then, Yûsei saw it: the blood that ran down the chin and unconsciously licked his lips. _Who_? Who had bitten whom? Who had shed the first blood? _Who will claim who?_

It did not matter. Yûsei realized that he did not care and with a low hungry roar, he lunged for what belonged to him.

They met again in the middle of the clearing; but this time, their bodies adjusted to each other as their mouths searched, almost too violently.

Yûsei had never known such a kiss. His skin burned from within as if Myrasar's fire devoured him and at the same time, wherever his body touched the other, the freshness of relief was unleashed. His hands were like beast claws tearing at his pants, clawing at his partner's flesh as his mouth demanded and offered. No female - not even the apsaras of the Flying City - had given him such warmth in their caresses.

He did not know how they found themselves kneeling in the grass. His lover's hands had released the clasps on his vest and were now pushing the leather to bare the smooth, tanned skin. With the vest out of the way, the young man determinedly attacked the belt as he tilted his head to trace a trail of kisses from neck to right nipple. Yûsei swallowed hard: the young demon may have had experience. In all likelihood, such a beautiful creature had attracted the eyes of both females and males. It was not the custom among High Demons to seek pleasure in children, but some ventured to break the law just for this delight.

Despite his lurid thoughts, his sex stiffly jumped out of the clothing prison. The young demon's hands stopped and Yûsei opened his eyes to discover him observing his member with dilated pupils. At first, he took the boy's rapture out of desire; but when his throat moved laboriously as he swallowed, Yûsei understood that it was fear. Fear, for the faces of the Goddess! Glee shook his soul: inexperience. When the time came, his partner did not know how to continue.

In his euphoria, Yûsei thanked the Goddess directly - as only the Druids were allowed - bypassing the mediation of the Pillars. Still praying in his mind, he wrapped his arms around his mate's waist and kissed him on the mouth with slow circles of his tongue before forcing him to lie on his back. Still kissing him, he slipped a hand between his thighs and a murmur of approval rumbled in his throat as he curiously traversed the hard cock. He was young, yes; but built by the Goddess as a true male.

The boy winced when Yûsei's fingers explored his cleft, seeking the warmth of his body. A gasp of protest escaped his lips; but he did not flee, content to throw his head back as he forced himself to receive the invasion.

_Patience_. The word was beginning to make no sense in the prince's head, who gasped as his lover arched and clung to the ground to endure the discomfort along with the increasing pleasure. _Patience_. He had to prepare him: other males had complained about his size, his force... Yûsei wanted this specific male to enjoy it, to want more - _to beg for more_.

A moan escaped the boy's parted lips and the stiff sex flailed against his taut belly, asking, demanding. Yûsei roared, pulling his hand away, and with a hiss that bared his fangs, he flipped the other onto his knees.

He sank into him in a single trust. That had not been his intention, but it was impossible to resist the call of his soulmate. He wondered how he had been able to live until today without this, without feeling him around him - so tight that it ached on his very axis. No one before him and no one after him, he vowed as he began to move - his fingers curling to dig into his lover's hips. No one would ever touch this pale skin, these jet-black hairs, these muscles taut with pain and pleasure. No one would ever see him naked again. No one other than Ryunnosuke Yûsei would present himself with his beauty and his ecstasy.

The red thread tightened around him, tightening his neck, cutting his breath, sowing stars behind his eyes. He felt his companion's weight on his chest and knew he had risen to lie against him. He reached for the hard, throbbing shaft with one hand and silenced with his mouth the groan that accompanied the spring soaking his fingers. He held him against him as he rammed once, twice ... three times and filled his body with his seed.

That was _pleasure_. That pain in the chest that ripped him from his body and threw him into the stars.

Lying on the grass bed, Yûsei again sought the mouth of his companion, who responded with languid movements, offering and demanding as the red thread floated around them, bathed in starlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Myrasar: God of the Fire, First Pillar.
> 
> Mahel: God of Death, Fifth Pillar.


	4. Chapter 4

Queen Aislinn stopped in the middle of the corridor as she saw her stepson approach. The Dragon Prince's clothes were dirty and torn; but an expression of deep satisfaction illuminated his beautiful features.

The queen raised an eyebrow dark as black silk - which contrasted with her silver hair pulled back in twisted braids at the nape of her neck - and said, mockingly:

“I was going to ask you if it had been a good hunt; but it is not necessary.”

Yûsei smiled broadly and stopped before her to curtsy.

"No need," he confirmed. “Did you miss me?”

WWhy would we? It was a very quiet night without you because of all this.”

“However, you have such an air of happiness, dear mother, that anyone would think that the _Taishõgun_ was also on the hunt.”

"Disrespectful boy," Aislinn scolded, slapping him on the shoulder with her tissue paper fan. “Remember that I am your mother.”

It was hard to remember when they were almost the same age, Yûsei almost pointed out; but he only made a rueful face and nodded like a child.

“Sorry, venerable lady.”

“Venerable lady your…” the queen bit her tongue in time and with a sigh, she made up her features when one of the palace ladies passed them. “No, your father was not hunting last night. Your brother arrived this morning.”

“Ryûsei is here?” The prince inquired, completely forgetting the previous week. “Where is he? Why didn't he come looking for me?”

“Would you have wanted him to find you?” His stepmother raised her eyebrow. “Bathe and change yourself, Dragon Prince, before you see your brother: he is too young to be perverted.”

“In a week he will be of legal age, mother; possibly he has played with enough girls in the Tiger Fort.”

“Oh Aoimhe, are there girls in the Fort ?! I shouldn't have let him go there, ”she complained, with exaggerated concern, and when Yûsei grimaced, she hit him again with her fan. “To bath I have said, Prince Yûsei; you smell like a beast in heat.”

“And what a beast, mother!” He exclaimed, opening his eyes with a mischievous gleam. “You should have seen him! Pure fire and stardust.”

“Get out, pervert!” Aislinn yelled, shoving him in the direction of his chambers. “I will make the Druids wash your mouth with mint soap!”

As Yûsei disappeared into the gallery that led to his rooms, laughing out loud, the Second Wife of the Taishõgun gazed in wonder at the red thread that floated behind him. The queen observed that the strand - invisible to anyone other than a powerful Visionary like her - snaked down the corridor to lose itself on the steps that led to the garden. Aislinn suppressed the astonished gesture: was it possible that Yûsei's fated mate also lived in the royal palace?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aoimhe: one of the names of the Goddess amongst the Elves.


	5. Chapter 5

After obeying his stepmother, Yûsei went to the garden. He had chosen a simple traditional dark green tunic - the Jade Dragon House livery - paired with the white shirt and brown pants. Instead of practical riding boots, he wore black satin sneakers with gold and emerald embroidery. He had gathered the thick black and red hair in a braid that went down to his waist, sealed by a white jade clasp. Again he wore the insignia of his rank: the Dragon Ring - a miniature of a green jade dragon that twisted around his finger to raise its horned head -; the tiara with the three black jade stars - his personal shield — and the necklace with the Eye of Nephiris - symbol of his rank as Master of Will, the only one in the last ten millennia.

As he took the sidewalk paved with onyx slabs that led to the Fountain of Ictiala, Yûsei thought that this might be the happiest day of his three hundred and ninety-two years. In a single day he had found his soulmate and recovered his brother.

He was being unfair, he acknowledged. Although Niall had been out of the palace for twenty years, Kazuhiko was there and was an adorable child. Yûsei loved Aislinn's second son as if he were his carnal brother; but that affection could not be compared to the love he felt for Niall, his little _Ryûsei_.

The crown prince laughed at the thought of his brother's face if he heard him called him "little." Already at the time of leaving for the Tiger Fort, with seventy years to go, Niall was almost as tall as he was and so beautiful that the Druids turned their heads to see him in the Temple. The young mongrel had inherited the toughness of features of his yõkai father together with the grace of his elven blood. In his case, his hair was a deep black shade, without the characteristic combinations of the Dragon House - which Kazuhiko did inherit - but that jet-black straight mane was the perfect frame for his blue eyes, which is why Yûsei nicknamed him _Ryûsei_ when he was barely a meter off the ground.

Yûsei was eager to see his brother and knew that after going to the training yard, the future adult would go to the fountain where they spent so many hours together during Niall’s childhood. Despite the fact that Niall was a Void - not possessed of magic - he and Yûsei had always understood each other without speaking, as if the bond of his blood contained sufficient power.

Sitting on the edge of the fountain, Yûsei allowed himself to remember the night before and a smile of happiness curved his sensual lips.

His partner had been a surprise and a delight. After that first union - which was to seal the fate of both of them - they lay reclining on the grass, knowing each other's bodies with their hands and mouth as well as with their eyes. At no time had the masks been stripped, since it was part of the ritual to keep them until sunrise; however, their gazes had met on numerous occasions, telling each other what smiling mouths kept silent. Exploratory caresses had rekindled desire; but this time Yûsei made up his mind to be patient and take his time so as not to harm his lover. The young demon, however, had other ideas.

Yûsei recalled, biting his lips, the determination in his partner's clenched mouth as he pushed him to the ground and straddled him, impaling himself at once on his hard cock. The prince had enjoyed many females in that position; but he had never known more exquisite pleasure than the one produced by the vision of that wonderful male rising and falling on his shaft while holding himself with one hand on his abdomen and the other on his thigh. Just remembering how the young had concentrated on bringing him to liberation before allowing his own pleasure to explode almost made Yûsei cum right now, sitting there on the edge of the fountain, with no more stimulation than his mind.

But there was more.

Seeing him gasp and shudder with his head thrown back as his phallus trembled and vented on Yûsei's skin, the prince decided he wanted that, too. He also wanted to feel the pain filling his insides, burning a path of ecstasy to the core of his being. Clinging to the body of his lover, he waited only a few minutes for the tremors after the orgasm to pass and immediately he began to caress his partner with all the delicacy that the hunger coiled in his lower belly allowed him. The other had watched him with huge puzzled eyes - the silver light of his irises barely edging his dilated pupils - as if he couldn't believe he wanted to possess him again; but did not complain. When Yûsei descended his torso, alternating small kisses with playful bites, he just lay motionless, stroking his partner's pointy ears… until Yûsei licked his soft sex. A moan escaped from the younger’s lips, who raised himself on his elbows to check with growing surprise that his manhood disappeared inside the prince's mouth.

Yûsei clenched his jaw, remembering the delicious sensation of flesh hardening in his mouth, filling it to touch his throat. He had never done this, although his lovers - of both sexes - had done it for him. He had always found it humiliating to remain on his knees before another male to give him pleasure with his mouth; but then none had been his companion. The moans that echoed above him were his best reward. He pulled away, savoring the first drops of the boy's fluid on his tongue and hovering over him, shoved two fingers into his mouth, forcing him to suck on them as he did with his cock a second before.

Yûsei read in his eyes that he looked forward to feeling him again and a smile danced on his lips when he turned away from him to lie on his back and seek his own center. He felt his lover's surprise when he saw penetrating himself with both wet fingers and then saw the wild flash in the other demon’s eyes when he understood the truth. Positioning himself between his legs, the young demon had descended to lick his already hard sex while helping him to push his fingers deeper into himself. Yûsei was carried away by the sensation of the mouth that explored his cock and his testicles, by the pressure of his fingers… and he barely gasped when his partner inserted a finger along his own. Stunned, he stopped touching himself so the other would do all the work, and when his young companion's long, slender fingers touched a point too deep inside him, a moan tore through his calm. He awoke from his stupefaction to see his lover hovering over him as he guided the cock inside with one hand.

At first the pain had been enough to almost regret his decision; but the lips that sought his gently brought down any resistance. Relaxing, Yûsei allowed himself to ride until just the thrust of his lover's cock into his prostate was enough to drive him into ecstasy. Digging his nails into the younger’s buttocks, he forced him to fill him with his semen when his own sex was still trembling and ejaculating between their bellies.

After a moment, the younger demon had rolled out of him, dropping onto his back to catch his breath. Yûsei growled at the emptiness inside him as the night cooled the fluids on his skin. He shuddered when fingers rummaged his semen-filled navel, obscenely.

"That was a lot even for such a big demon."

The hoarse voice caressed his ear, setting shivers of desire. It was the only time he heard him speak. Instead of answering, Yûsei had straightened up to kiss him voraciously and a few minutes later, they were rolling on the grass, half fighting to see who would possess whom this time.

The Dragon Prince closed his eyelids and took a deep breath to calm his spirits. His sex was outrageously erect and he had to do his best not to undress it and seek relief in his hands, evoking the warmth and toughness of his partner. Niall couldn't find him half naked, suffocated and with his hands stained with semen: that would be embarrassing for someone of his rank. Also, he was not a teenager rocked by hormones to roam around corners in broad daylight.

He focused on the events of that morning, when he woke up alone in the forest clearing. His lover was gone and for a moment Yûsei felt the terror and anger knot in his chest until he gasped, showing his fangs. Then his gaze had fallen on a small piece of dark blue velvet, which he pounced on: _his lover's mask._

The smile lit his features and cleared the fiery red of his eyes to liquid gold. It was a sign. They had loved each other without names or demands; but the young demon was giving him a chance to find him. The mask left behind meant that next time there would be no masks to hide behind: the next time they met, it would be the final one. And his lover expected him to come looking for him, to claim him.

Once again Yûsei shuddered with joy at the thought of his soulmate. Niall would be the first to know the good news. His brother would be happy for him: after three hundred years of waiting, he had found his mate, half of his soul.

The scent filled his lungs, making him blink in surprise. The red thread tightened underneath the Dragon Ring and Yûsei stood up, turning in place to face the approaching footsteps of the race.

“Nii-chan!”

The voice flooded his ears, erasing for a second the desire to mix with surprise, and Yûsei barely had time to steady himself so that Niall would not throw them both into the fountain.

Aislinn's oldest son clung to his brother, surrounding his neck with arms and his waist with legs like when he was a child.

Yûsei felt laughter rise to his throat as Niall's damp hair wrapped him in his characteristic lavender perfume and ...

Niall sensed his older brother's stiffness and leaned his head back to gaze at him. He blinked, disoriented, seeing that Yûsei's ever-golden eyes glittered like gems of living fire.

"Get off," the Dragon Prince ordered.

Niall obeyed, taking a few steps back, not understanding.

"Nii-san," he said.

"You smell like a prostitute," Yûsei replied harshly. “If you are old enough to fuck a whore, you certainly are not old enough to hang around your older brother's neck.”

“What do you say?” The young demon stammered, his wide blue eyes widening. “I do not…”

“Shut up. It is embarrassing that a member of the Dragon House behaves as you just did. In a week you will be an adult and although you are a white demon, you must behave according to your birth.”

Niall blinked, stunned by the humiliation that Yûsei's words sought to inflict. A _white demon_ : the derogatory way to call those who did not possess magic. As he was.

“I'm sorry. I will not …”

“I hope so. I thought you would have at least learned something at the Tiger Fort.”

“But I did learn ...!” Niall exclaimed, raising his beautiful face, eager to tell his older brother about his achievements in weapons training.

“For the Hundred Wings of Seamisal, go bathe!” Yûsei interrupted him. “That cheap whore stench is churning my stomach.”

And covering his nose with the sleeve of his robe, he pulled away from him.

Niall did not move, staring at the clear water. Stink like a harlot? Was this how others perceived it? Not possessing magic, he was not able to smell the bond; but he believed it must be something nice, strong, powerful ... like his soulmate. Or maybe he was wrong and there was no such smell in him because there was no bond. After all, could a _white demon_ be entitled to a partner destined by the Goddess?

Tears rolled down his pale cheeks. He could accept that there was no soulmate for him, he could even admit that the previous week was a mistake, that someone took advantage of his ignorance to seduce him; but what really hurt his heart was the rejection of Yûsei, the being he loved the most in the world, the only one who never seemed to care about his inability. It was evident that all those years he had been wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seamisal: God of Air, Third Pillar.
> 
> Ryûsei: means both "blue dragon" and "shooting star". Niall is called this way for his beautiful blue eyes, so rare amongst yokai.


	6. Chapter 6

Despite the pain caused by Yûsei's words - or perhaps because of the pain caused by them - Niall obeyed his brother’s order. For almost two hours he locked himself in the bathroom of his bedroom, rubbing himself until his pale skin was reddened and he was no longer able to detect any odor coming from him. He hoped that the scent of sex was gone too: if Yûsei had felt it, others would feel it too. And, in the end, his older brother was right: even though he was a white demon, he was a member of the Royal House and had to behave like one.

He also discarded the white and gold party clothes he had chosen for the morning. Instead, he dressed in the black uniform with two orange bands crossed over his chest that corresponded to his current rank and hung the _uchitagana_ from his flat belt. He gathered his hair in a simple ponytail at the top of his head and as the only jewel he put the wolf-tusk earring in his right ear that identified him as the male heir of the _Ard Ri_ of the Elves. Not that he thought he could ever take the throne - the Elves were even more demanding than the Yõkai regarding the magical power of their leaders - but Fionn was pleased that his grandson declared himself his heir and not that of the Yõkai. Furthermore, the _Taishõgun_ Yûdai already had an heir - Yûsei -; the _Ard Ri_ Fionn Mac Tíre could keep Niall for himself.

The prince joined his mother in her chambers for lunch. Aislinn could not help noticing the change in the mood of her eldest son, who upon arriving in the morning exuded joy and satisfaction, to the point that the queen could smell the sweet and slightly pungent aroma of sex a few meters away.

Of course Aislinn knew that her son was not a virgin. Perhaps due to the lack of magic, Niall had matured faster than ordinary demons: at forty, the beginning of early adolescence, Niall was of stunning beauty. The passage to the second adolescence had only accentuated his sensuality and although it was an unwritten law among the demons that did not have sexual or romantic relationships with minors, Aislinn knew that many ignored the tradition if the prize was worth it ... and Niall was. Aislinn suspected that her eldest son had learned about the pleasures of the body long before his seventieth birthday. However, this morning, the queen had smelled a different smell from him. Now, when Niall was again the correct and serious prince that everyone knew, Aislinn watched him without dissimulation, wanting to discover the change.

Unfortunately, the absence of magic from a Void affected the other demons as well. For many, it was almost impossible to see into the soul of a Void or to perceive if other people's magic hung over them: the non-magic of the Voids devoured all the tissue around them.

Naturally, Niall would not tell her what had turned his happiness into sadness, the queen realized, as he never told her the ridicule that he had been subjected to during his childhood in the Academy or the mistreatment of his first tutors for being unable to perform magic. Aislinn remembered her husband's anger upon discovering what was going on: after the Imperial Masters were flogged until the skin hung in tatters from their bones, no one dared to offend Wolf Prince again - at least not head-on. Under the tutelage of Kouhei, a young master of Magical Arts, Niall soon mastered the Principles of the Eight Specialties, just in case his magic woke up one day. For his second adolescence, Niall made the decision to go to the Tiger Fort. Many Voids chose the path of arms, and judging by the _uchitagana_ hanging from his belt, Niall had chosen well. In just twenty years the young demon had traveled the path from _Iaito_ to the Third Rank in the Army: it took half a century for more powerful demons to stop being apprentices.

Finally, after lunch, Niall took a little longer in the company of his mother and announced that he was going to visit Kouhei.

"He will be happy to see me," he stressed.

Aislinn raised her black eyebrows; but before she could say anything, her son kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Only at that moment, the magical vision of the Second Wife could make out the red thread floating behind him in the direction of the open window. What most puzzled the queen was that Niall's strand was a deep blood red –the same color as the thread tied to Yûsei.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ard Ri: High King (gaelic)


	7. Chapter 7

The Academy of Magical Arts and Sciences was located in the Northern district of Jade City. Niall had walked this path thousands of times during his childhood. He himself had refused to take the lessons at the Royal Palace: since he was not able to perform magic, he should at least see others to find out how it worked. Kouhei had been a good teacher: he didn't care about his disability ... or better, he had assumed it as a challenge. He was not well regarded among his elder and more senior colleagues, but the Taishõgun had chosen him to educate the prince precisely because of his rebellious and innovative character. Despite the fact that Niall knew that their relationship began as an experiment, over the years the friendship had grown between student and teacher.

The doors of the colossal building remained open at all times. The Academy grounds were considered as sacred as the Temples of the Nameless Goddess. Instead, the Academy was guarded by the Pillars, guardians of knowledge, and mediators between the Sons of Earth and the Universal Mother.

Niall passed the high porch and crossed the atrium, ignoring the statues he knew by heart: Myrasar - Pillar of Fire - holding a scroll in his right hand; Seamisal – Pillar of Air - raising a flute to his lips; Dara - Pillar of Earth - strutting to the rhythm of inaudible music. Turned to the south was a pedestal on which only the truncated feet of a statue appeared: Arak, the Forbidden, ancient Pillar of Water and traitor to all races, who created the Specters and unleashed them on the world long before cleavage. Finally, just in front of the door that led to the catacombs, was the shadow chapel of Mahel, the Pale, Pillar of the Spirit, Lord of Death.

Niall bowed to each of the standing Pillars and touched his forehead and heart toward the Mahel Chapel. It was customary to spit at the foot of Arak's plinth, but the young prince could never adapt to such nonsense. Instead, he crossed his fingers in the informal signal of greeting between old friends and hiding the smile that his little mischief caused him, continued his way to the interior of the school.

At those hours, Kouhei would surely be eating a frugal lunch - if he remembered to eat something. The Wolf Prince walked the almost deserted corridors at noon and ascended the spiral staircase to the master's private chambers.

“I never dreamed of deserving your attention, my prince.”

Kouhei's voice sounded strangely sweet as he spoke and Niall stopped before knocking on the half-open door.

“Kouhei-san, you are one of the most handsome demons I have ever met and your wisdom is only comparable to your beauty. Why shouldn't you spark my interest? Have I not shown it during all these years?”

Niall blinked, stunned, recognizing Yûsei's voice. _Yûsei_. What was his brother doing in Kouhei's rooms? It was not the first time he had visited them of course; but before it was always accompanying him. Instinctively, he approached the door and pushed gently, just enough for his eyes to make out the two demons sitting on the dark green velvet divan.

Yûsei wore the same clothes that morning and the braid in which black and red hair were mixed equally rested on his chest, standing out in the green of the robe.

Kouhei sat facing him, turning his back on the door and wearing only the Masters' red robe. As always, he had a shaved head, except for the ponytail that stood at the crown of the head. His pointy ears were adorned with rings of gold and silver.

At Yûsei's response, the Master let out a small noise of surprise and said:

“I thought your only interest in me was as your brother's tutor, Yûsei-sama.”

Niall held his breath.

Yûsei lightly furrowed his thin black eyebrows and his mouth with sensual lips twisted at the left corner. With calculated sensuality, he reached out and drew the lapel of the gown to the base of Kouhei's throat.

"Guardian of a _white_ demon," he said wryly. “Was there ever a challenge there? I thought you were holding the position just to be close to me. It was what your looks told me all these years.” He leaned down to brush his nose against his neck. “And your smell.”

"I didn't think ..." Kouhei stammered, stunned as he put a hand on the prince's shoulder to steady himself. “I didn't think you were interested in males ...”

"I am interested in everything that is beautiful and worthy of attention, Kouhei-san," he murmured against his skin. “I'm so interested that I wasted years of my life following my poor little brother just to see you.”

“Wouldn't it have been easier ...?”

The question died on Kouhei's lips, devoured by the kiss that Yûsei placed on them vehemently. When they finally pulled away, the Master was barely able to breathe and the Dragon Prince's eyes glittered like living gems.

“The Dragon Prince cannot throw himself at the feet of the first male who attracts him”, he declared as he spread Kouhei’s legs with one hand, possessive. “Also, being nice to my disabled little brother is good for my public image: I could do two things at the same time.”

At another time, Kouhei would have reflected on the cruelty of Yûsei's words, when for fifty years he witnessed the love between the two brothers; but now, with the prince's hands exploring him, granting him the possibility of accessing one of his deepest dreams, the Master was unable to think.

Niall drew back until he leaned against the railing of the ladder. His heart had stopped beating and pain he didn't know he could feel was unleashed in his chest, his belly, _his soul_. Yûsei had been his friend, his brother, his father ... Three hundred years older than him, the son of the Taishõgun's first marriage had become a child to play with his brother. Neither princely duties, nor sexual arousal, nor war ... nor evidence that Niall would ever be a true demon had interfered in their relationship. Or so Niall believed.

**_Lie_**. His whole life was a lie. Yûsei had never loved him. Yûsei only saw in him a way to gain sympathy, a way to get closer to a man he liked ... a demon. A true demon capable of using the fabric of magic; not a white demon.

The pain in his chest spilled down his arm until it tightened around his left middle finger. Niall did not perceive it ... nor did he perceive the blood that flowed from the scratches that he ripped into his own chest, as if he wanted to rip his heart out.

A moan reached his ears and he had to fight the urge to vomit - vomit until nothing was left inside him: no food, no organs, _no white soul_.

He turned on himself and threw himself down the stairs.


	8. Chapter 8

Yûdai looked up when his son burst into the dining room. A smile had begun to appear on his lips until he detailed the state of his firstborn.

“What the hell happened to you, Yûsei?” He demanded, frowning white eyebrows. “It looks like you were in a fight.”

“Where is he?” Yûsei demanded, leaning on the back of a chair while his gaze lingered on the seat to his father's left.

“Who?” The Taishõgun was puzzled.

“Your son ... Niall ... where is he? Is he not coming to dinner?”

“Are you drunk, Yûsei?” Asked his father instead of answering. “What behavior is that? You are the Dragon Prince! You must…!”

“Niall, father! Where is Niall?” He interrupted, ignoring his tirade.

“Your brother? Your brother is also mad. He left. This afternoon. Without explaining anything to me. He said that he needed to return to the Frontier, that the situation had become tense in recent times and that all possible soldiers were needed to stop the Specters, that everything seemed to indicate that Cedar had located his headquarters a short distance from the Eastern Frontier. All those preparations for his birthday and he leaves us. Fionn and his two wives were coming! I invited Caliph Haquim and his eldest daughter! The Five Rajas are invited! Princess Amaravati will come to the party! And what shall I say to her? That the honoree is thousands of kilometers away! Yûsei, are you feeling alright, boy?” He inquired, realizing the lividity of his eldest son, who was holding on tighter to the seat.

"You lie," Yûsei mused, blinking. “He wouldn't leave like this ... without talking to me. Niall would face me… he would claim… He would like to know ...”

“What are you talking about, Yûsei?”

"Yûsei and his brother argued this morning," Aislinn explained as she entered the dining room and went to the chair that her son would normally occupy. “I suppose Yûsei thought that Niall was waiting for him to finish his discussion, didn't you, dear son?”

Yûsei watched her with eyes clouded by alcohol and despair. Aislinn felt sorry for him and sneakily gestured for control.

"Ah, that," Yûdai sighed, calming down. “Don't worry, Yûsei; as soon as your brother passes this emotion of being a warrior, he will return and you will be able to converse. An argument will not change the love you feel for each other. Sit down: you must eat something to get drunk.”

“No. I will -I will be in my rooms.”

Yûdai made a move to stop him; but his wife laid a delicate hand on his, forcing him to look at her.

“But he's drunk, girl! Drunk as a leprechaun who fell into a vat of mead! He can't walk like that around the palace! He will fall in a corner.”

Yûsei stopped listening to his father's complaints: let Aislinn dealt with him.

_Gone. Niall was gone._

Of course he was gone. That was his intention all the time: for Niall to run away, to get away from him, to hate him, to stop torturing him with his scent and beauty.

He closed the door to his bedroom and leaned against it, banging his head against the walnut wood.

He loved Niall. He had loved him from the moment his father forced him to see the newborn baby. He loved him more than he loved any other creature. That feeling was never questioned: Niall was his brother, his blood, his flesh. He never doubted himself near his brother ... until that morning.

_Niall_.

The name left a furrow of fire on his chest. The memory of the silk of those black hair stung his fingers. The memory of that body burned his skin.

With a roar, Yûsei threw himself against the dresser desk, knocking the contents over to the floor with furious swipes. He cursed the Pillars, the Goddess, the entire universe. He kicked and tore apart as he summoned Mahel calling him by his full name. He tore off the Dragon Ring and desperately clawed at his finger until blood dripped to pool on the jade and malachite tiles. In vain: before his eyes, the red thread continued to float, hopelessly tying him to a being miles away.

Defeated, he crawled to the bed and, with his bloody hand, searched under the pillow. He held the piece of dark blue velvet in front of his face before squeezing it to his nose and sucking in the scent of his lover, his mate. Immediately, his sex hardened.

Possessing Kouhei had meant nothing: Yûsei had ejaculated on him without finding the relief he wanted. The moment he released his seed into the narrow passage of the other male, the prince knew that he was doomed, that no one could ever fill his hunger. His seduction of Kouhei had been a performance for Niall's benefit; but also an exorcism. The first worked, not the second. And now Yûsei repented. He should have told his brother ... told him ...

Instinctively, he reached under his pants and grabbed his stiff cock. He stroked himself while sniffing the velvet mask, evoking the tight heat around him, the hardness burning his insides. He ran generously, moaning the name of his soulmate ... his brother ...

_Niall…_

**_To be continue?_ **


End file.
